Staten Island friends eyeing roller derby championship

Photos courtesy of Tom IgoeFormer Curtis High School wrestler Lauryn Tacoronte, left with blue uniform, will be looking to lead her Brooklyn Bombshells to their second straight Gotham roller derby championship Saturday.

By THOMAS GERBASI / ADVANCE CORRESPONDENT

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island may not have a team in the Gotham girls’ flat-track roller derby league, but when the eighth full season of the growing sport’s New York branch comes to an end at CCNY’s Nat Holman Gymnasium in Manhattan Saturday, the borough will be represented by two Staten Island natives eager to face off against each other with the league’s Golden Skate championship trophy at stake.

For Lauryn “Lady Fingers” Tacoronte and the Brooklyn Bombshells, it’s an opportunity to add a second consecutive title to their resume after winning their first league title in 2011 by defeating the Bronx Gridlock 133-124.

The Manhattan Mayhem and second-year star Laura “Bruzin” Brody have every intention of capturing their first crown this weekend. And if a friendly Staten Island rivalry can get things stirred up even more, all the better.

“I love Fingers, but I will have to do my best to take her down,” said Ms. Brody of Graniteville, who ironically suited up with Tacoronte as members of the Wall Street Traitors, one of Gotham’s three travel teams.

“Mayhem is my home team, it’s the first team I was on when I started playing roller derby, and when you talk about winning a championship, I want it, and my whole team wants it,” the 33-year-old added.

“We’re all friends at the end of the day, even at practice,” said Ms. Tarcoronte, a Bulls Head resident, “but now that we’ve succeeded together as the Traitors, it is a little interesting to have to go against her. I’m really glad to see how much she’s progressed throughout the year and how great she’s gotten though, and I’m excited to show her how good I’ve gotten.”

Laura Brody, second from left, used to run track at Port Richmond High School, but now she is playing roller derby for the Manhattan Mayhem.

Both players have emerged as key contributors for their respective teams this year, matching the growth of roller derby, which barely resembles that of the staple on television that was more spectacle than sport during its heyday in the 1960s and 70s. Today, over 200 leagues compete worldwide under an exhaustive set of rules; there are no scripted outcomes, and no, there are no flying elbows, body slams, or brawls.

“A lot of people remember it from when they were younger, but I explain to them that it’s a little different now,” said Ms. Brody. “There’s a lot of action without elbows and fights, and it makes it better that way because it’s a sport. People are training really hard for something, so when you see the culmination of a lot of hard work on the track, it’s something to watch.”

In Gotham, some of the best derby in the world is currently being played. The league’s all-star team is preparing to defend its WFTDA (World Flat Track Derby Association — the sport’s sanctioning body) title in November, and the four home teams — Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens — are filled with elite athletes. The athletes range from former Division I hockey and soccer players, to a former Curtis High School wrestler in Ms. Tacoronte, the first girl to start on a boys’ wrestling team in the PSAL, and a former track and field competitor from Port Richmond HS, like Ms. Brody.

But why no Staten Island? According to the league’s website, bringing in a fifth team would stretch resources for the non-profit, volunteer-run and supported organization past a manageable level at the moment, though it doesn’t rule out eventual expansion. And with the support both Staten Island young women receive from their local fans, a local team would be a welcome development.

“My friends think it’s great,” said Ms. Tacoronte, who is completing her third year on the track. “I’ve actually had a good amount of friends come from Staten Island to watch me play, which is really nice. But my mom is my biggest cheerleader.”

The 26-year-old’s mom, Laurinda, along with the rest of the cheering section known as The Pinkie Toes, will most definitely be at CCNY this weekend to cheer the skaters (at least the Brooklyn ones) on. As for Ms. Brody, win or lose, she’ll admit that when she tightens her skates, puts on her helmet, and the whistle blows, there’s no place she would rather be.

“When I was younger I remember seeing it on TV and I said I really wish they still had that and I could do that,” she said. “And when you get out there and you put your skates on, it’s like a dream come true that I never knew I had.” 

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Modern roller derby can take a little getting used to once you see it for the first time.

Here’s a quick primer:

Each team has five skaters on the track, one jammer and four blockers. The jammer is the only skater that can score, and to do so, she has to maneuver her way through the pack, which consists of both teams’ blockers. Once through the first time, she picks up one point for each opposing skater she passes on ensuing trips around the track. Each jammer has two minutes or less (called a jam) to score points before the whistle blows and 10 more skaters come on the track.

The number of skaters on the track can be reduced by trips to the penalty box for various infractions.